The Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, sponsored by Sino Group, seeks to give recognition to ordinary Hong Kong people who have done extraordinary things. Through actions which demonstrate great integrity, inspiration or which have a positive impact on others in the community, these individuals or groups of individuals exemplify the very best of the Hong Kong spirit.
Through The Spirit of Hong Kong editorial series, the South China Morning Post are covering stories of the kindhearted, the honest, the caring and the selfless. Stories such as the tenacious and hardworking individuals who defy seemingly insurmountable physical challenges to achieve their goals will form the foundation of the nominees for the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards in November this year.
A total of ten awardees will be recognised by an esteemed panel of judges, with the same criteria of impact, integrity and inspiration. An 11th award will be given to the nominee who wins by popular vote. Nomination and voting can be accessed on the official website http://spirit.celebratinghk.com/, along with highlights some of the top stories published by the newspaper.
The Spirit of Hong Kong Awards judging panel is chaired by former Chief Secretary and Acting Governor of Hong Kong, Sir David Akers Jones. The panel comprises eight judges; including former LegCo member and former Chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing, the Hon. Ronald Arculli, GBM, CVO, GBS, OBE, JP; Professor Nelson Chow, Hon. Professor at the Department Social Work and Social Administration at Hong Kong University, James Blake, GBS, OBE, JP, former Chief Officer of the KCRC,, Shelley Lee Lai Kuen, GBS, OBE, JP, former Permanent Secretary of Home Affairs and Golden Bauhinia Star awardee for her continuing care of the needy, Dr. Rebecca Lee Lok Sze, Polar scientist and the world’s first woman explorer to reach the Arctic, the Antarctica and Mount Everest region, Daryl Ng, Executive Director, Sino Group, plus SCMP’s Group Chairman Dr David Pang and Editor-in-chief Wang Xiangwei complete the eight.
“Celebrating Hong Kong commemorates our 110th Anniversary, but rather than focus on ourselves, we want to give something back to the community” remarked Wang Xiangwei, SCMP’s Editor-in-chief. “We want to celebrate the uncelebrated. It is easy to give a splash to the more obvious of Hong Kong’s successes and achievements, but all too often there are unsung heroes that make up the fabric of our community that go largely unnoticed. They inspire us and their selfless contributions behind the scenes make Hong Kong the place we are proud to call home. As a newspaper with a global reach, we can share their stories beyond our own borders, as shining examples of the Hong Kong spirit.”
To nominate an unsung hero, please visit http://spirit.celebratinghk.com/. The nomination period closes 30th September 2013.
About SCMP Group Ltd and South China Morning Post
SCMP Group Limited (SEHK: 583) is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong’s internationally recognised English language newspaper and has the city’s most affluent and influential readership.
First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Available in print, iPad™ and online through scmp.com and e-reader editions, South China Morning Post reaches a global audience with daily breaking news, analysis and opinion, multimedia articles and interactive forums. The South China Morning Post received 64 awards in 2012 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability. Other titles in the Group include the Sunday Morning Post, the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE and CosmoGirl!, HK Magazine, The List, Where Hong Kong, and Where Chinese玩儿.
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The ceremony, which was live-broadcasted on RTHK’s Radio 3, was attended by many of Hong Kong’s well known names, from Cardinal Zen, who made an opening address, to Allan Zeman, Sir David Akers Jones, Rosemary Vandenbroucke, Lisa S, Nissa Marion, and Regina Leung, OSC Patron and the wife of Hong Kong Chief executive, Leung Chun-ying.
Two China environmental issue stories penned by reporter Shi Jiangtao inspired the judges to present the award of Excellence, one for the article “Sold down the river” in the Feature Writing category and another for Shi’s two-part series “Toxic”, which probed one of the worst mainland cadmium contamination incidents in decades, which picked up the award in the Reporting on the Environment category.
“South China Morning Post is joining hands with the people of Hong Kong to raise awareness of and take pride in what’s great about our city and our people”, said Robin Hu, Chief Executive Officer of South China Morning Post. “From our city’s culture, heritage and rich traditions to its pillars of the community, “Celebrating Hong Kong” is our way of saying we love and believe in our city.”
“At a time when China and its economy take an increasingly dominant role on the global stage, reporting and analysing how China ticks is more important than ever,” said SCMP Editor-in-Chief Wang Xiangwei. “Nick, who joins us fresh from Beijing where he was Chief Economics Correspondent for Reuters, will be able to step right in to lead our coverage of the Hong Kong and Chinese economies.”
INMA Awards is an annual competition held since 1935, to honour the best marketing campaigns by news media companies. The International News Media Association (INMA) Awards are judged by a global panel of executives in the media and advertising communities in 13 countries. This year saw a total of more than 500 entries from nearly 150 market leading news media companies in 30 countries.
